Apr 21, 2010

If you like cumin and spicy food, then you'll love Barbacoa Beef. Spicy shredded beef braised in a blend of chipotle adobo, cumin, cloves, garlic and oregano. This was a recipe request I was glad to make. Another Chipotle's inspired dish. If you've never eaten at Chipotle's, then you probably don't understand the obsession.

I made this in my pressure cooker which cut down the cooking time by half but you can use a Dutch oven instead. One thing I should mention, I used four chipotle peppers and it was very spicy, so use your judgment on how much to use depending on how spicy you like your food. I served this over cilantro lime rice with corn salsa. These would also make great beef tacos or burrito bowls. Enjoy!!

Trim all the fat off meat, cut into 4 inch chunks. Season with salt and pepper and brown on high heat in 1 tsp oil on all side for about 5 minutes. Add liquefied spices, water, bay leaves and simmer on low 2 hours in a pressure cooker. (If you are making this on the stove, simmer it on low and you'll have to double the cooking time to about least 4 hours, adding more water from time to time to make sure it doesn't dry out.)

Once cooked and the meat is tender, remove the meat and place in a dish. Shred it with two forks, and reserve the liquid for later (discard the bay leaf). Return the shredded meat to the pot, adjust salt and cumin (you may need to add more) to taste and add some of the reserved liquid back. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes to let the flavors penetrate.

I never post pressure cooker recipes because I'm not sure how many of you have one, but I Love my pressure cooker!! Cooks in half the time, meat practically falls apart and the flavored really penetrate into the meat. I use my pressure cooker mostly when I make beans or stews. Any crock pot recipe can be made in the pressure cooker!!

This sounds great and I can't wait to make it! Method question, though: when you say "simmer on low two hours in the pressure cooker" do you mean high pressure maintained over low flame or low (5 PSI) pressure?

@Jess, SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS:Sear meat on high heat in a pan with 1 tsp oil or oil spray. Place all ingredients in your crock pot and cover. Cook low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and combine well with the juices at the bottom. Remove bay leaves and adjust salt and cumin (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes. Super easy!!

@Janice, click on the links in the red links and it will take you to those recipes.

@Janelle- All pressure cookers operate slightly different, but they come with instructions. Basically the cover locks into place and no air escapes except from the valve. You lose very little liquid because of this and the flavors really get into the food. Great for stews, chilis, beans. I couldn't live without mine.

I just bought a pressure cooker because of reading your recipes (well several weeks ago) but haven't taken it out of the box yet! I'm thinking this recipe will be my first! I remember my parents using one years ago and all the sputtering frightened me but I'm hoping they are much easier to use these days...

Thank you for all of your delicious recipes using REAL food! You fill a real void that existed when I did weight watchers about 2 years ago. It is such a blessing to find your website. I am slow cooking this for tonight's dinner.

Dear Gina,Another amazing hit in my house!!! I made your manicotti a couple weeks ago and we LOVED it and I made this last night with my new pressure cooker and it was AMAZING!! WONDERFUL!! DELICIOUS!!!!! It really did taste like chipotle! My husband went nuts over it, I can't wait to get home and have leftovers for dinner!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!XOXOXOXXOXOXO

My husband had WLS a few months ago, and still can't eat beef, so I tried this recipe with chicken!!! It was soooo good! I just put some chicken tenderloins in the liquified spices and let them boil, then shredded them and added them back to the pot. YUM! I can only imagine how good it will taste with the beef! Thanks Gina! :)

made this today in my crock pot and just left it in there for 8 hours, i didnt even have to use a fork, it was so tender i just pushed down on the meat and it would shred on its own. i only used 2 chipotle chilies and it was just the right amount of spice. i made a burrito bowl with this and the cilantro lime rice,pinto beans, salsa, sour cream and cheese. YUMMY!

my meat was 2.88 lbs but had a big peice of skin and fat on the bottom, im sure it was only 2 lbs by the time i was done trimming it, ill still count it as 4 though, id rather be wrong and eat less points than be wrong and go over my points, lol. eating a burrito bowl for lunch right now, it so freakin good!

I made this about a month ago and even though we were eating Barbacoa Beef for about a week (only two eaters here), we never got tired of it. That's how good it was!!! In fact, I want some right now! It was just perfect and I wouldn't change a thing. With a nice glob of sour cream on top, it tasted exactly like Chipotle! You are awesome, Gina!

Made this too! See Gina, I've made so many of your recipes! Loved it.. Questions, I'm use to my barbacoa with a little more "juice" to it. It was rather dry, but delish.. What do you suggest I add to make it saucier? Thanks!

Tried this last week and it was great! Tastes just like Chipotle's! This is my second recipe I tried from your blog and I love it. I'm now a follower. I used two chipotles for a nice kick without it being too spicy. Thanks Gina!

I made this recipe (along with the corn salsa and cilantro rice) over the weekend, and it was amazing! I couldn't believe how much it tastes like Chipotle. Thank you so much for developing this recipe! :-)

This was ABSOLUTELY amazing! I did this with the cilantro rice, corn salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. BOY! You could not tell this was NOT chipotle. Dinner got 4 stars tonight. My boyfriend said the only thing it was missing was tortilla chips...

I would like to make this in a slow cooker, since I don't have a pressure cooker. Before I attempt it though, I'd like to ask if anyone cooking it in the slow cooker found it to be dry? In the past i have found beef dishes in the slow cooker to be on the dry side. Any feed back would be appreciated.

LOVING your blog, Gina!! I had a WW friend over for dinner last night for a faux-Chipotle experience and I'm not sure I'll ever need to go to the restaurant again!! This was *amazing* and I had the control over the points, which is a TOTAL bonus!

We had this recipe, the cilantro lime rice and your black bean salad! Yummy yummy!

I made this last night for the final four games!!! Followed the recipe except I added two cans of Rotel tomatos...and I think it could have done without it. Next time I will follow the recipe exactly. It was still great!!! It was juicy and very flavorful. I also made the southwestern beans and cilantro rice. They were amazing too! My BF loved the beans... We also had the skinny margaritas! What a hit for dinner and super easy. I used my Le Creuset 5 qt pot....after browning and bringing the meat to a low boil...I placed it covered in a 250 oven for 5 hours...while we did yard work. What a great way to have dinner ready with no fuss! Thanks so much Gina...your recipes are keeping my diet alive!!!!...and keeping the BF happy.

My, my, my!!! I've never been to Chipotle's, but this was definitely restaurant quality! I made this along with the corn salsa recipe and white rice, and it was awesome! I am so grateful for this website.....thanks Gina!

I made this (Barbacoa Beef) with Cilantro Lime Rice and Corn Salsa for dinner. We loved, Loved, LOVED it! My husband can't believe that these recipes I have been finding on your wedsite are healty! Thanks for the wonderful recipes Gina!

I could only find a small can of chipolte salsa so I just poured it in instead of the actual chiles and it was delicious. Also I cut the meat into smaller pieces and simmered on low for 3 hours and it was perfect. Great recipe...I know my husband's gonna love dinner tonight!

I made this today in my slow cooker and it was incredible! I had it over yellow rice and my husband had his with rice and flour tortillas. I used a bit less oregano and clove, since I'm a little sensitive to those flavors and it was PERFECT!! Thanks much, Gina!

I found your blog a couple months ago and have since tried MANY of your recipes and loved every single one! It's great to have help getting new meal ideas and my favorite part is making HEALTHY meals that my husband still loves! (I'm not on WW but counting calories and your site has made this so much easier and more delicious.) None of it is "diet food"... it's all wonderful and flavorful! Anyway, this recipe is next to try and I'll be serving it with the corn salsa and cilantro lime rice. Thank you Gina!

made this last night for a crowd and it was delicious. not a drop left! I set up a taco bar that included this, crockpot santa fe chicken, cilantro lime rice, cuban black beans and all the fixings! everyone loved everything! i love all your recipes and am so happy i found your blog!

Gina -I'm new to your site but I am oh-so-thankful that someone recommended it to me! I tried this recipe yesterday, along with the Skinny Chipotle Lime Rice and Skinny Chipotle Corn Salsa and LOVED IT! I mentioned your site in my WW meeting last night, because when I find something I truly like I can't keep it to myself! Keep up the good work!

I just bought a eye round for this recipe and I CANNOT WAIT to try it. My boyfriend and I love Chipotles Barbacoa beef. Plus, he's a meat and potatos kind of guy. To top it off, we're both on WW's. This is going to be such a blessing to our diet!

I miscalculated my time and it turns out we have to leave the house about an hour prior to the dish is done (I have an old school non timer crock pot). Since its already in the crock pot (which smells ah-mazing btw) I placed it on high for 3 hours then I will change the setting to low for the remainder of the time. Hope it works! :)

P.s. Ur website is fabulous and I constantly recommend it to all my friends! Thank you for your hard work and dedication Gina :)

I made this in the slow cooker and let it go all day while I was at work. Mixed with the Cilantro Lime Rice and Corn Salsa from here as well and it was phenomenal! I put in 3 chipotles since I had never cooked with them before and there was quite a bit of kick. I love spicy so it was ok, but I'll tone it down tonight when I make it for my boyfriend!

I am on your website like EVERYDAY printing SOMETHING for dinner ha ha! I love it love it love it! I can't express how thankful I am to be able to make my Latin recipes that are healthy!!! THIS recipe is GREAT! I was crazy skeptical about the Coke but WOW it was great! When are you putting out a cookbook? I'd be first in line! Your recipes are at my table at least 2 times a week!

Made this last night for a big extended family dinner with brown cilantro lime rice and a deconstructed guacamole salad and it was EXCELLENT! The fam said it was BETTER than Chipotle's - cleaner and fresher and no disgruntled employee behind the counter! So glad I found your site. I've made quite a few things and they've all been a hit.

Oops! Forgets to say, I cooked mine in the crockpot and cooked it for about 8-9 hours. I also added another cup of water to mine. I did check on it throughout the day, turning it a few times but it was perfectly shredable by the end of the day.

Just finished having this for dinner with your rice. It was delish! Hubby said "it's just like Chipotle"I made 1/2 a recipe in the crockpot and it turned out perfectly. Next time I'll make the corn salsa too. Thank you for some great recipes!

I just wanted to thank you for this recipe! It's really good. I usually buy all of my meat from a carniceria Mexicana(Mexican meat market), and I had a hard time trying to figure out what eye of round was called en espanol. It is called "cuete" for anyone out there who also buys their meat en espanol! Also, I'm not sure what Anonymous was referring to as this is not barbacoa ; barbacoa is a dish, not a cut of meat. Thanks Gina for all of your awesome recipes.

I just made this for dinner for my boyfriends family. While it was good, it was by far the spicest thing I have EVER eaten (and we LOVE spicy). I only put two peppers, I am not sure where I went wrong. Suggestions for mellowing it out? I have a TON of left overs and don't want to threw them out.

I made this today while at work in the crock pot (9 hours total). I kept the beef whole (no 4" chunks), and used about 1-1/2 cups of water since I was afraid it would get dry. When I got home it just fell apart and was very moist. FANTASTIC, I give this 5 stars! Served with her fiesta lime rice (also a 5 star dish!)

This was so yummy, thank you!! I wanted to say too that I was super lazy and I kept everything whole, didn't blend or cut anything up and it still turned out great! It still blended well together and fell apart. It was a tiny bit dry so next time I will use more water, but man was it yummy. I just had it in a burrito bowl with the corn salsa and brown rice for lunch. :)

I just found your website last night. I have to say that I love your blog. It has various, amazing recipes that are healthy. I have been looking forever for a recipe blog like this. Thank you. I love eating barbacoa and my boyfriend love carnitas. We also love spinach and artichoke dip which I also find a skinny version. Seriously, I love your website. Thank you again!! I never comment on website, so I hope that gives you prospective of how thankful I am. :)

I made this for Phil and me. He LOVED it. I also made the corn salsa (huge hit) and the cilantro lime rice. We had enough leftovers for another dinner! Excellent recipe. Corn Salsa was even spicier the next day. I only used two adobo peppers, I think next time I would use more. I like things very spicy!

I have to say, my family made this for dinner tonight and the meat came out bland and we didn't want to use the liquid because it didn't taste anything like Chipotle's barbacoa meat. We followed the instructions but maybe we did something wrong? We also made the cilantro rice, and that was delicious! Another note on the meat, it doesn't look anything like the picture.-Jessica

Hey Gina, I love all of your recipes and basically live on your site... but I gotta say I feel like I did something wrong with this one. Had to use a slow cooker since we don't own a pressure cooker, but ended up with dry chunks of beef (it just would not shred like it should have)... any suggestions for the next time, or is the pressure cooker really the way to go for this recipe?

Hi Gina - thanks so much for sharing your many talents with us, you are a godsend! I made the barbacoa today and was a bit disappointed with the way the meat turned out. I don't have a pressure cooker so used the slow cooker for my 3 lb eye of round roast. After 10+ hours in the slow cooker, the "4 inch" pieces are still hard as a rock and will not shred. Should I give it more time or give up entirely (and slice it). Sliced just won't be the same. Thanks for your advice!

Good dish & thank you. I taste it as it cooks away and at the last hour I think it needs some "sharpening" and add 1/2 C dry red wine. Turns out great. I also add some pickled onion (red onion slices soaked for at least a few hours in vinegar)on top along with the corn. Sometimes a dollop of fresh pico de gallo, or radish slices..any 1, 2 or 3 will do.

I am having a hard time finding information on regular barbacoa. I had some for lunch thinking it was a good thing to eat because Chipotle's version is only 4 pts+ per 4 oz. serving. Then I started reading up on it and other sources say it's very fatty meat usually. What is the norm out there in non-ww land? Did I mess up? It was very tasty, but so is Chipotle's...

My bottom round wasn't fatty at all. I did just what the recipe said and trimmed ALL the fat from it....I cooked it in a very large skillet on top of the stove for 5 1/2 hours and only had to add a little water near the end. I had no fat to skim off. Got my bottom round at Sam's Club.

I made this in the slow cooker over the weekend and put it on top of the fiesta lime rice. AMAZING!!!!!! Everyone loved it and it was so incredibly easy and flavorful. Thank you for the great recipes. My family is eating healthier but not lacking flavor! Keep it up Gina!!!!

This is a fantastic recipe. Making it today for the second time. Used the rice and corn salsa ('cause that's what I get anyway at Chipotle's)and then we added some diced tomato, sliced avocado, cheddar/jack shredded cheese and salsa verde. Cooked it on top of the stove in a very large skillet for 5 1/5 hours. Put two nice reconstituted great in the microwave on about 40% power.

Made this tonight in my oven as the slow cooker was already in use. I used a chuck roast, followed the directions but placed in dutch oven, covered top with foil and then placed lid on top. I braised in oven at 300 degrees and checked every hour. Note the meat was still tough after first two hours but at 2 hours 45 minutes the meat was soft and fork tender! I added a little more water (about a cup) during 2nd hour. If your meat is tough, keep cooking and it should become tender!

I made this today in the slow cooker, and skipped the clove and bay leaf (picky pregnancy senses!). We had these in hard tacos with corn salsa and monterey jack cheese and it was sooooo good! I used a lean cut of beef that I had on hand, and cooked on high for about 5 1/2 hours...I might have to go back for thirds!

Tastes great and pretty easy! I learned that a pressure cooked and slow cooker are not the same thing after it wasn't done in 2, 3, or even 4 hours, but I left it for about 10 hours total and it tasted amazing!!

This was perfect! I added more onion, garlic and chipotle so I'd have extra sauce but after shredding, the meat sucked it all up. Also 2 hours under pressure my aunt thought was crazy. We did 20 minutes of pressure and then let it sit for about 30 off and the meat was perfectly tender.Super quick and easy and tastes really close to Chipotle! Great copy cat recipe!!